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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
ゼルダの伝説 ブレス オブ ザ ワイルド
Zeruda no Densetsu: Buresu obu za Wairudo
TLOZ BOTW NA box (Nintendo Switch).jpg
Box art for the Nintendo Switch version.
TLOZ BOTW NA box (Wii U).png
Box art for the Wii U version.
Developer(s): Nintendo
Publisher(s): Nintendo
Platform: Wii U, Nintendo Switch
Category: Action-adventure
Players: 1
Predecessor: The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
Successor: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Release dates
Worldwide: March 3, 2017[1]
S. Korea: February 1, 2018[2]
Ratings
ESRB: E10+[3]
CERO: B
PEGI: 12
USK: 12
ACB: M[4]
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© 2017 Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an open-world 3D installment in The Legend of Zelda series, released for both the Wii U as the final first-party title for the system[5] and as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch in March 2017[1]. Originally stated to be in development in 2013, the game was officially revealed at E3 2014 with a 2015 release window, but was delayed to 2016 due to new ideas being implemented during development, and was later delayed again to 2017 to launch on both the Wii U and Nintendo Switch. Like The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds before it, the game's intended goal was to challenge the conventions of the series.

Accompanying the release of the game was a line of amiibo; five figures were released alongside the game, while four additional figures would be released in November 2017. The Nintendo Switch version of the game also launched with two special editions in North America; the standard Special Edition is packaged with a copy of the game, a full tapestry map of Hyrule, a Sheikah Slate carrying case for the Nintendo Switch system, a Sheikah Eye collectible coin, and a soundtrack CD with 24 songs, while the "Master Edition", in addition to the Special Edition contents, comes with a statue of the Master Sword.[6] In Europe, the game would launch with a Limited Edition that came with the game, soundtrack, and statue. The Australian Limited Edition of the game featured the game, tapestry map, coin, and statue; a "Limited Collectable Bundle" would also be released alongside the game exclusively through the Nintendo AU/NZ eBay store that featured the additional Limited Edition contents.[7] Finally, in Japan, a "Collector's Edition" of the game was released that included the Link (Rider) amiibo, soundtrack, map, and an alternate cover, while the "Deluxe Collector's Edition" would additionally feature the statue and a set of 20 postcards.

During Nintendo's E3 2019 presentation, a sequel to the game was revealed to be in development.[8] Titled The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the game is set to be released in May 2023.[9]

Blurb

Box

Answer the call

The shadow of Calamity Ganon rises over the ashes of Hyrule...

Craft your survival

Defend the legend

Nintendo website (E3 2016)

STEP INTO A WORLD OF ADVENTURE

Forget everything you know about The Legend of Zelda games. Step into a world of discovery, exploration and adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a boundary-breaking new game in the acclaimed series. Travel across fields, through forests and to mountain peaks as you discover what has become of the ruined kingdom of Hyrule in this stunning open-air adventure.

Nintendo website

STEP INTO A WORLD OF ADVENTURE

Forget everything you know about The Legend of Zelda games. Step into a world of discovery, exploration and adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a boundary-breaking new game in the acclaimed series. Travel across fields, through forests and to mountain peaks as you discover what has become of the ruined kingdom of Hyrule in this stunning open-air adventure.

Features:

  • Explore the wilds of Hyrule any way you like - Climb up towers and mountain peaks in search of new destinations, then set your own path to get there and plunge into the wilderness. Along the way, you'll battle towering enemies, hunt wild beasts and gather ingredients for the food and elixirs you'll need to sustain you on your journey.
  • More than 100 Shrines of Trials to discover and explore - Shrines dot the landscape, waiting to be discovered in any order you want. Search for them in various ways, and solve a variety of puzzles inside. Work your way through the traps and devices inside to earn special items and other rewards that will help you on your adventure.
  • Be prepared and properly equipped - With an entire world waiting to be explored, you'll need a variety of outfits and gear to reach every corner. You may need to bundle up with warmer clothes or change into something better suited to the desert heat. Some clothing even has special effects that, for example, can make you faster and stealthier.
  • Battling enemies requires strategy - The world is inhabited with enemies of all shapes and sizes. Each one has its own attack method and weaponry, so you must think quickly and develop the right strategies to defeat them.
  • amiibo compatibility - Tap the Wolf Link amiibo (sold separately) to make Wolf Link appear in game. Wolf Link will attack enemies on his own and help you find items you're searching for. We will also introduce new he Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild series of amiibo at E3 this year.
Nintendo eShop (Wii U)

Forget everything you know about The Legend of Zelda games. Step into a world of discovery, exploration, and adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a boundary-breaking new game in the acclaimed series. Travel across vast fields, through forests, and to mountain peaks as you discover what has become of the kingdom of Hyrule in this stunning Open-Air Adventure.

Nintendo eShop (Nintendo Switch)

Forget everything you know about The Legend of Zelda games. Step into a world of discovery, exploration, and adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a boundary-breaking new game in the acclaimed series. Travel across vast fields, through forests, and to mountain peaks as you discover what has become of the kingdom of Hyrule in this stunning Open-Air Adventure. Now on Nintendo Switch, your journey is freer and more open than ever. Take your system anywhere, and adventure as Link any way you like.

Story

At the beginning of the game, Link is awakened in a chamber by a voice beckoning to him. After leaving the cave, Link learns that he has been asleep for 100 years, after failing to stop a monster called Calamity Ganon, currently being held inside Hyrule Castle by Princess Zelda. However, Calamity Ganon's power continues to grow, and if not stopped it will eventually break free with enough power to destroy the entire world. Link's quest is ultimately to defeat Calamity Ganon and save both Hyrule and Zelda.[10]

Gameplay

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the first open-world game in The Legend of Zelda series since the original title, and the first such 3D title. Link is able to travel anywhere in the world at any time.

Rather than give Link a set of equipment at the start, the player can instead find weapons and armor across the world, which alter Link's stats in various ways and can also grant various bonus effects. The weapons that the player can pick up include melee weapons and bows, which will break after a certain amount of uses. Materials can also be found across the world, which include food items that restore Link's health and other objects that can be used to upgrade items and equipment. Food and certain other materials can also be cooked into various combinations of recipes to restore more health and grant bonus effects.

Link can use the Sheikah Slate to look at the map and mark locations on it. Throughout the game the player can find Sheikah Towers, which increase the amount of the map that is filled in by giving him the map information for that region of Hyrule. The Sheikah Slate also gains various Runes that can be used to interact with objects, such as using Magnesis to pick up metal objects, Cryonis to create blocks of ice over water, Stasis to freeze objects in place for a time, or throwing and placing bombs that can be remote detonated. In some instances, the player will enter into slow-motion; using a bow in midair enters this state to more easily hit enemies, while leaping out of the way of an enemy attack allows the player to perform a Flurry Rush by repeatedly pressing the Y button. Enemies are also given a health bar.

Both versions of the game are compatible with amiibo. Scanning the Wolf Link amiibo once per day allows the player to summon Wolf Link into the game as a partner character; by default he has three hearts, which can be increased by saving Cave of Shadows data from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD onto it. By scanning other The Legend of Zelda amiibo, the player can unlock random items in the game, as well as a treasure chest with a rare item.[11]

The gameplay of Breath of the Wild is identical across both platforms, with the Nintendo Switch version only sporting an increased display resolution and better sound quality.[12]

Development

A new The Legend of Zelda title for Wii U was originally announced in the January 2013 Wii U Direct. Eiji Aonuma stated that the focus of development for this title was to "rethink the conventions of Zelda".[13] The first trailer for the new game was showcased during the Nintendo Digital Event @ E3 2014, where it was announced that the game would be released in 2015.[14] The first look at gameplay was showcased during The Game Awards 2014.[15]

In March 2015, Aonuma stated that, because the development team was still working on implementing new ideas, finishing the game for a 2015 release was no longer a priority.[16] In the November 2015 Nintendo Direct, it was announced that the game would be released in 2016.[17] However, Nintendo's financial release for the 2015-2016 fiscal year revealed that the game had once again been delayed to 2017[18], as well as announcing that the game would be simultaneously released for both Wii U and Nintendo's next console, at the time codenamed "NX".[19] During the Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 event, it was announced that the game would be released in March 2017, as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch.[20]

Reception

Aggregate scores
Metacritic 96 (Wii U)
97 (Nintendo Switch)
GameRankings 97.40% (Wii U)
97.26% (Nintendo Switch)
Reviews
Famitsu 40/40
IGN 10/10
GameSpot 10/10
Game Informer 10/10
Destructoid 10/10
Electronic Gaming Monthly 9.5/10

Breath of the Wild received high praise from critics at launch, with many review outlets giving the game a perfect score. Famitsu rated The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild a 40 out of 40 (all four reviewers giving the game a 10 out of 10)[21], the twenty-fourth game to be given a perfect score by the magazine. The UK magazine Edge, in its April 2017 issue, also rated the game a 10 out of 10, the nineteenth game in the publication's history to be given a perfect review score.[22]

In Japan, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sold over 230,000 total copies within two days of its release; the Wii U release sold 45,052 copies, while the Nintendo Switch release sold 193,060 copies and was the best-selling game on the week of its debut.[23][24] While exact sales figures have not been provided, Reggie Fils-Aimé has stated that the Nintendo Switch version of Breath of the Wild has become the best-selling standalone launch title for a Nintendo console in North America, beating Super Mario 64.[25] NPD Group sales figures later revealed that the game sold 925,000 copies, while the Wii U sold 460,000, for a combined total of 1.3 million, making it not only the best-selling Nintendo launch title but also the fastest-selling game in The Legend of Zelda series and selling more games than Nintendo Switch systems.[26][27] The title performed similarly well in Europe, becoming the best-selling Nintendo launch title overall, surpassing Wii Sports.[28] In the UK market, the game debuted as the second best-selling game on the week of its release.[29] In France, the Nintendo Switch release sold over 96,000 copies, while the Wii U version sold over 34,000.[30]

Technical details

Technical details
Media: Wii U Game Disc
Nintendo Switch Game Card
Digital download (Wii U, Nintendo Switch)
Download size: Wii U: 10.6 GB
Nintendo Switch: 13.6 GB
Supported features: Off-TV Play (Wii U), amiibo
Input / compatible controllers: Wii U: Wii U GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller[31]
Nintendo Switch: Joy-Con[32], Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

Additional content

Updates

Version no. Release date(s) Description
1.1.0 March 2, 2017[33] Adds "Downloadable Content" option to the main menu, gameplay adjustments.
1.1.1 March 31, 2017 Gameplay adjustments.[34]
1.1.2 April 11, 2017 Gameplay adjustments.[35]
1.2.0 May 1, 2017 Adds the option to switch languages for voices, gameplay adjustments.[36]
1.3.0 June 29, 2017 Adds compatibility with The Master Trials DLC pack, gameplay fixes.[37]
1.3.1 August 7, 2017 Fixes an issue in Master Mode in which defeating enemies for Kilton is not counted toward completion, allows in-game items to be obtained from a News channel on the Home menu, gameplay fixes.
1.3.3 November 8, 2017 Adds support for the Daruk, Revali, Urbosa, and Mipha amiibo; adds a new sidequest to obtain the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 gear, fixes an issue causing the red "X" mark upon a game over to not be recorded on Hero's Path mode, gameplay fixes.
1.3.4 November 21, 2017 Gameplay fixes.
1.4.0 December 7, 2017 Adds compatibility with The Champions Ballad DLC pack, gameplay fixes.
1.5.0 January 31, 2018 Adds support for the Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Korean language settings for in-game text; gameplay fixes.
1.6.0* April 25, 2019 Adds support for Nintendo Labo VR Goggles, gameplay fixes.
* - This update is only available for the Nintendo Switch version of the game.

Downloadable content

For the first time in the main The Legend of Zelda series, Breath of the Wild features paid downloadable add-on content, the "Expansion Pass", which was made available for purchase alongside the release of the game for both Wii U and Nintendo Switch. The Expansion Pass features two packs of downloadable content; these packs cannot be purchased individually.[38][39]

  • Expansion Pass Bonus (March 3, 2017): The bonus content for purchasing the expansion gives players three new treasure chests on the Great Plateau, which contain useful items and a shirt with a Nintendo Switch logo.
  • The Master Trials (June 30, 2017[40]): Includes the Trial of the Sword challenge, Master Mode, the Hero's Path mode, the Travel Medallion, and new armor.[36]
  • The Champion's Ballad[40] (December 7, 2017): Includes a new story segment, a new dungeon, an additional weapon, additional challenges, and new armor.

To enable the option to use the alternative language subtitles and voice tracks in the Wii U version of the game, a separate downloadable content pack, the "Option to Change Voice Language" pack, must be downloaded.[36] The pack requires 834.7 MB to download.

Notes

  • Early copies of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for Wii U featured incorrect controller information on the back of the box art, indicating that, in addition to the Wii U GamePad and Wii U Pro Controller, the game could be played using the Wii Remote, Wii Remote and Nunchuk, and Classic Controller. This error was corrected for future printings.[41]

External links

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on other NIWA Wikis:
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StrategyWiki


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be at Switch's launch, out March 3. Nintendo Everything (January 13, 2017). Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  2. 한국닌텐도, 「젤다의 전설 브레스 오브 더 와일드」의 예약 판매를 2018년 1월 5일(금)부터 실시 Nintendo of Korea (December 26, 2017). Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild official website. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  4. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild gets Mature rating in Australia. GoNintendo (November 23, 2016). Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  5. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be the last Nintendo game for Wii U. Polygon (January 19, 2017). Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  6. Have a look at The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Master and Special Editions. VG247 (January 13, 2017). Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  7. Zelda: BOTW Will Have Three Different Editions In Australia. Press Start. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  8. Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - First Look Trailer. Nintendo (YouTube; June 11, 2019). Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  9. SThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Coming May 12th, 2023 – Nintendo Switch. Nintendo (YouTube; September 13, 2022). Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  10. E3 2016: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Might Be The Open World Zelda We Always Wanted. IGN (June 14, 2016). Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  11. Nintendo of America on Tumblr (December 2, 2016). Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  12. Switch vs. Wii U: All the Zelda: Breath of the Wild Differences. GameSpot (January 18, 2017). Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  13. Wii U Direct - Nintendo Games 1.23.2013. Nintendo (YouTube; January 23, 2013). Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  14. Play Nintendo - Nintendo E3 Digital Event. Nintendo (YouTube; June 10, 2014). Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  15. Wii U - The Legend of Zelda - Gameplay First Look from The Game Awards. Nintendo (YouTube; December 5, 2014). Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  16. The Legend of Zelda on Facebook (March 27, 2015). Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  17. Nintendo Direct Presentation - Mario, Zelda, Pokemon & More | Game Overviews (11/12/15). Nintendo (YouTube; November 12, 2015). Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  18. Earnings Release for Fiscal Year Ended March 2016. Nintendo (April 27, 2016). Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  19. "The new Legend of #Zelda will be the focus of #E3 2016. It will launch simultaneously on both Wii U and NX in 2017". Nintendo of America on Twitter (April 27, 2016). Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  20. Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017. Nintendo (YouTube; January 12, 2017). Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  21. Famitsu - review scores (Zelda: Breath of the Wild gets a perfect 40/40). GoNintendo (March 1, 2017). Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  22. Edge Magazine gives Breath of the Wild a perfect score. Nintendo Wire (February 25, 2017). Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  23. Media Create Sales: Week 9, 2017 (Feb 27 - Mar 05). NeoGAF (March 8, 2017). Retrieved March 8, 2017.
  24. Nintendo Switch、発売3日間で国内推定販売台数33.1万台を記録 『ゼルダの伝説 ブレス オブ ザ ワイルド』国内推定販売本数は19万3060本. Famitsu (March 7, 2017). Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  25. Nick Wingfield on Twitter (March 6, 2017). Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  26. Nintendo Switch, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Launch Sales Numbers Revealed. IGN (April 13, 2017). Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  27. NoA PR - Nintendo Switch Becomes the Fastest-Selling Video Game System in Nintendo History. GoNintendo (April 13, 2017). Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  28. Europe: Switch sells more in its launch weekend than any other Nintendo hardware in history. Nintendo Everything (March 7, 2017). Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  29. Nintendo Switch UK launch sales hit 80,000. GamesIndustry.biz (March 6, 2016). Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  30. La Nintendo Switch bat tous les records de ventes en France. Le Fiargo (March 7, 2017). Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  31. The Wii U Version Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Will Support A Wii U Pro Controller. My Nintendo News (June 14, 2016). Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  32. First Look at Nintendo Switch. YouTube (Nintendo; October 20, 2016). Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  33. Zelda: Breath of the Wild update available (version 1.1.0). Nintendo Everything (March 2, 2017). Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  34. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's update 1.1.1 has the most vague patch notes. VG247 (March 31, 2017). Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  35. Zelda: Breath of the Wild update out now (version 1.1.2). Nintendo Everything (April 11, 2017). Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  36. 36.0 36.1 36.2 Nintendo Details the First DLC Pack for Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Free Language Audio Pack Available Now. GoNintendo (April 11, 2017). Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  37. Zelda: Breath of the Wild update out now (version 1.3.0). Nintendo Everything (June 30, 2017). Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  38. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass. Nintendo (YouTube; February 14, 2017). Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  39. Nintendo prepares downloadable content for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Nintendo.co.uk (February 14, 2017). Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  40. 40.0 40.1 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Expansion Pass - Nintendo E3 2017. Nintendo (YouTube; June 13, 2017). Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  41. [BOTW Wii U] Controller misprint (left) corrected on recent Wii U copies of the game (right). r/nintendo (April 6, 2017). Retrieved April 7, 2017.


The Legend of Zelda series logo
Main series

The Legend of Zelda (Classic NES Series) • The Adventure of Link (Classic NES Series) • A Link to the Past • Link's Awakening (DX • Nintendo Switch) • Ocarina of Time (Master Quest • 3D) • Majora's Mask (3D) • Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons • The Wind Waker (HD) • Four Swords (Anniversary Edition) • Four Swords Adventures • The Minish Cap • Twilight Princess (HD) • Phantom Hourglass • Spirit Tracks • Skyward Sword (HD) • A Link Between Worlds • Tri Force Heroes • Breath of the Wild • Tears of the Kingdom • Echoes of Wisdom

Other games
BS-X games BS The Legend of Zelda • The Ancient Stone Tablets • Triforce of the Gods
Tingle games Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland • Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love • Tingle's Balloon Fight DS • Dekisugi Tingle Pack
Other games
Picross games Picross NP Vol. 5 • My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Unreleased games / demos Mystical Seed of Courage • Retro Studios prototype • Tingle horror game • Zelda HD Experience
Publications
The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia • The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts • The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Explorer's Guide
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